GOOD NIGHT! GOOD NIGHT!

Three mischievous bunnies finally fall asleep in this playful look at the bedtime routine.

As stars appear, mother rabbit declares, “It’s sleepy time.” Thus begins the rabbits’ nightly ritual of reading and singing, hugging and kissing, tucking in and...dancing? Silliness ensues, and the routine starts over, repeating and lengthening as new antics arise. Finally, with a gentle “No,” mama carries her happy procrastinators to bed. Cozy in their darkened room, they sleep. The artist’s intricately cut collage work neatly captures the bunnies’ impish exuberance. And everything, from the text to the design, is meticulously thought through. Readers understand the mother’s patience, her slight exasperation, and her love for her brood not only through the words themselves, but also through their visual appearance (size, typography, placement on the page). Likewise, her bunnies’ desire for fun is represented by collaged cutout letters; background colors reflect their sleepiness level. It’s hard not to compare Berger’s tale to the beloved classic Goodnight Moon—both feature an adult female rabbit and a bedtime routine. But where Clement Hurd’s surreal, atmospheric artwork stirs the soul, Berger’s aesthetic and narrative choices feel more methodical. However, not limited by the collage medium, her skillfully designed work is extremely marketable.

Young readers will giggle over the bedtime jollity, while parents may recognize the familiar bedtime battle and see themselves in the mother rabbit whose love and patience prevail